


Life Ain't A Video-Game

by Kije999



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M, Gaming addiction, Sexual Content later on, Social Anxiety, Social Awkwardness, Video Game spoilers, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-31
Updated: 2014-09-21
Packaged: 2018-02-15 13:47:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2231331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kije999/pseuds/Kije999
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Totally AU)Beth has two problems. One, she’s a videogame addict and two, she indecisive. Those being the main problems caused her to be this social awkward little thing that is too shy to make real life friends again on first meeting, after all online everything goes easier. Then there is her new neighbour Daryl -an attractive technician who works back-stage at shows who fights his own demons , who finds a friend in the little gamer. Discontinued</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Spoiler for The Last Of Us below  
> Disclaimer- I don't own the walking dead  
> \--  
> Uhm yeah, I'm trying this pairing out. I’m a big lover of AUs I used a plot generator to create a story for me. And this was one of the results.
> 
> "In this story, an indecisive video game addict accidentally runs into an attractive technician. What starts as friendship becomes infatuation. What role will a little rascal play in their relationship?"
> 
> And I really liked this one, because I’m studying game-design and I need to know a lot of games for inspiration. So yeah I created this… I tweaked the plot a little from the result, but it’s mainly the same.
> 
> It isn't Beta'd, since I don't have a beta reader for it... I'm Dutch, I can't write Southern Accents but I try. So I apologize for that.  
> Each chapter will be around 2500-3000 words.

Beth huffed a stray strand of blond hair out of her face, brows furrowed in frustration as she glared at the thirty-two inch television screen. Her fingers and thumb ached from furiously smashing the buttons of the pink controller that came with her PS3.

The screen displayed the realistic graphics of The Last of Us, a game she must have played at least for eight times now. No matter how many times she played the loved the story with her heart. Like a ‘normal’ person would watch their favourite movie a dozen times. The story of a man who lost hope and faith after he lost his daughter and that he later will find in a little girl that started off as cargo to him but later transforms in a father and daughter relationship, warms her heart.

This time she plays it on advanced settings, hence her frustration. She’s in the final level, the hospital. Ready to save Ellie again from the surgery that will kill her. After dying for like the millionth time today, she managed to get upstairs to the final floor, the floor the girl is on.

Pressing the circle button on the controller, she made Joel crouch behind a crate –or something like that. Going on to listening mode she managed to spot about ten to fifteen firefly soldiers walking around. Now on advanced mode, she had to be really clever about this.

Remaining in crouching mode Beth moved Joel to the nearest soldier, but hid behind a wall and checked if other of the soldiers faced Joel’s way. When she felt the moment is right, Beth made Joel grab the soldier dragging him along behind the wall and pressed the triangle button, strangling the firefly soldier.

One gone, about fourteen to go.

About forty-five minutes and six re-tries later, Beth managed to get in the surgery room and save Ellie once again. No matter how many times she made Joel save the teenage girl from the surgery table, it warms her heart. The fact that Joel called Ellie baby girl at the end of the winter sequence made her tear up the first time she played it. Beth finds it beautiful, that even in the ugly world like that, something so great as familial bond blossoms in the darkness.

As the credits rolled by Beth placed the controller on the floor and stood up from her sitting position and stretched her back. Her finger tingled from after releasing the pressure she had placed when she was gripping the pink controller as if her life depended on it. She stifled a yawn that escaped her small lips and rubbed her nose.

How long has she been playing today? She knew she started after she woke up, around 9 A.M. She still wore the hot pink hoodie –with her name on it, she threw over her sleeping shirt along with her jogging pants she slept in. Groggily, she pulled her Samsun S3 phone out of her hoodies pocket and pressed the front button and a bright light emerged from the device.

Blinking twice, she stared at the bright screen with a large crack in the glass before taking a quick glance at the time. 6.34 P.M. Then the blonde looked at the date, Saturday, October 2.

“Fuck,” her voice rasped from the lack of use.

She had to work in an hour from now. Well, it wasn’t really work. Beth promised to babysit the sheriff’s children while he and his wife Lori went on an anniversary diner. The couple have been friends of her daddy and since Beth moved into town, they asked her to take care of the children.

The blonde groaned and slumped her feet to her tiny bedroom. After she retrieved her work clothing -which was basically a black T-shirt and a pair of skinny jeans then she grabbed a fresh pair of undergarments.

When she had all she needed she moved herself to the tiny bathroom that was located next outside of her bedroom. Maybe she should clean it tomorrow, if she doesn’t forget. Placing her clothing on the closed lid of the toilet, she turned on the shower and stripped herself from the baggy clothing, which she dropped unceremoniously on the floor.

After three minutes she hopped under the not-so-pleasant stream from the shower. It’s always too hot or too cold. Today it was too cold again and no matter how she twisted or turned the temperature controller, it didn’t get hotter.

She shivered, she needed a hot one. Even if it is scorching hot, her neck muscles were sore from staying in the same position for many hours. Beth quickly finished cleaning herself and washed her hair, a quiver went down her spine when she  ducked her head fully under the cold but steady stream of the showerhead.

There was always one plus side, she’ll never shower too long.

The girl sniffed as she cut of the water and with chattering teeth she quickly grabbed the towel from the rack behind the shower curtain. Within a minute, she dried herself off from the cold, clear liquid that covered on her skin.

Beth managed to put on her underwear and shirt without any trouble. But struggled with the tight jeans that wouldn’t slide on her slightly damp legs. She groaned in frustration and shook a damp strand of hair out of her face. Once again, she yanked the fabric up on her legs and sooner or later she managed to pull her jeans on her hips.

She left the door of the bathroom open to let the humid air out. Grabbing a pair of socks, she returned to the living space. The menu of the console was still on the TV, it’s calm music sounded out of the speakers of the TV. On the ground a lot of trash lay littered all around where she sat. Soda cans, wrappings of chocolate and candy, etc. She blessed her fast metabolism for her skinny body that consumed the all that junk food. She grabbed all the trash and threw them away in the trashcan in the kitchen. She returned back to the living space, walking to the dark coloured curtains and opened. Then she turned around back to room, checking if everything is baby safe and nodded to herself approving.

Beth sneaked a quick glance at the clock in the corner of the menu of the PS3, before turning it off. It was five minutes past seven. As on cue her stomach growled softly. She walked to the open kitchen connected to the living space and grabbed a plastic cup instant ramen from the cupboards, heating some water in the water cooker. She poured the heated water in the cup and grabbed a fork out of tableware drawer.

She placed the cup of ramen on the small table and placed the fork next to it. The she walked over to the living room and grabbed a thin hair tie from the table. She pulled her damp hair in a messy knot, tying it in place before returning to the cup on the dining table.

Beth sat down on the wooden chair and pulled out her phone from her jean pocket. As she scrolled down, she checked her Facebook. Not much new. Beth didn’t have a lot of friends on Facebook, just her sister, her brother-in-law, more family members, a couple of high school and college friends she kept in contact with and a couple of internet friend, bringing in a total of eighty-three friends.

Her sister Maggie posted a couple of photos of a family dinner with her children and husband. Beth was invited to it, too, but told her sister that she had to work that day. She had apologized numerous times. She wasn’t working, she was gaming. The blonde was playing COD with her online friends, Tara and Rosita. Laughing at the twelve year old boys that they killed in game. It was the best if Maggie didn’t find out about that, she already tries to break her younger sister’s gaming addiction since the blonde was seventeen.

With her phone in her hand she started eating the ramen. The salty noodles glided through her lips easily as she slurped. Her momma hated it when she slurped, but she lives alone know so her mother wouldn’t correct her for her table manners.

Of course she misses her parents a lot, but she loved the freedom of living alone. Beth remembers the constant nagging of her parents about her unhealthy lifestyle. She knows they were just worried about her and she knows that her life-style more than healthy. She doesn’t have a social life and she plays games all day-which is taking its toll on her neck someday. As on cue, a dull pain ached in her neck muscles and she placed her phone on the table to rub her neck.

Also, a messed up sleep-schedule and an unhealthy diet are also written on the list of an unhealthy lifestyle.

After eating she threw the plastic cup in the trash bin and placed the fork in the sink. She looked at TV screen again, the time displayed 7:18 P.M. She still has a couple of minutes before Rick and Lori dropped off their kids at her place. The blonde also needed to get the crib for baby Judith out of the storage downstairs.

Beth sighed, why didn’t she do this earlier. It wasn’t the first time Carl and Judith were dropped off at her place. She was their personal babysitter. Once in a while she stayed at their place, but Carl wanted to stay at her place rather than being in his own house. It had to do with her game-collection. Beth recalled the first time Rick dropped Carl of at her place two years ago, they boy insisted his father that he didn’t need a babysitter until he saw her collection of games sitting in a case on the wall.

She pushed herself to walk to the door and walked out, leaving the door open at a small gap so she could kick it open as soon she carried the rather heavy crib. On her way through the hallway of her floor, she noticed a different nameplate, all shiny and new, on the door of 3-B, the apartment across hers. Beth let a small grin play on her lips. The previous owner, Ms. Woodhouse, wasn’t the nicest woman. The old woman always complained and nagged. Looks like the landlord kicked her out.

As she reached the stairs she ran downstairs, hurrying before the Grimes family arrived. She went on to grab the storage keys as she reached the door of the room. Every habitant of the building had a spare key of the storage room, mostly to store their bikes and boxes. It’s labelled with a nametag so people could see who it belonged to. Other habitants never touch someone else’s stuff, but the risk is still there.  

Beth moved over to where she last left the crib. Someone placed a couple of  fold up moving boxes against it, but didn’t matter. She moved the carton over against a wall and started moving the crib toward the door. It was as heavy as she remembers. A part of her hated that the apartment building doesn’t have an elevator and that she lives on the third floor.

Her arms started aching as she moved through he door of the storage in the hallway. Huffing and groaning, she started picking the crib up again, lifting it an inch or two of the floor. Her arms trembled in protest.

“Need some help with that,” a gruff voice stopped the girl in her tracks.

Beth dropped the crib on the floor with a dull thud and turned around to face the man that spoke. A tall man with dark hair entered her view. He had rolled up the sleeves of his blue flannel shirt. He was attractive, she can’t deny that fact.  She never saw him before, so he must be the new habitant.

“Yes, please,” she replied meekly with a polite smile. She felt her face warm up and a light pink colour of embarrassment crept on her cheeks. Beth never talks to strangers, she watches them first for a couple of days before actually making a brief conversation.

“You have a kid or somethin’?” his voice is deep and rough, she noticed as he asks.

She shook her head and mumbled that she babysits a eight months old baby. The stranger nodded and lifted the crib up with ease. No wonder, Beth thinks. Through his shirt she could see the muscular arms.

“So you’re the Greene that lives across my apartment, huh?” he asked her after they reached the second floor. He had asked her where it needed to be dropped off.

She nodded staring at her socks, she cursed herself mentally for forgetting to put on shoes. Her feet are cold from the cement floor downstairs and goosebumps scattered all over her arms, she knew she would get warm from the exercise, so she left her hoodie in her bedroom, not thinking someone would help her.

“I was wonderin’ if ya were real,” he drawled. “Hadn’t seen ya and I live here for two weeks now.”

She huffed in a playful manner, feeling the same embarrassment creep on her face .

“I don’t go out much,” she admitted. “Not really a people person.”

“Neither am I,” he mumbled.

She sniffed and rubbed her nose when they reached the stair of the floor. She felt a cold coming up, so she had to be careful to not give it further to Judith. Beth hit the apartment door with her clothed food. The door opened easy and walked inside.

“You can place it there,” the blonde mentioned to wall next to the door inside her apartment and smiled a little to the man, still feeling a little uncomfortable with being around a stranger. “I can handle it from here.”

“I’m sure ya can,” he carefully placed the wooden crib at the assigned place and walked back outside.

She stood in her doorway as he reached in his denim pockets to grab his keys. She took a moment to study his face, she only had looked at his face briefly. His face was handsome, with his scruff and strong jaw. Age sure lined his face, so she guessed she must be in his mid or late thirties. But his dark blue eyes captivated her, they were gorgeous and reminded her of sapphires. He must have noticed her staring because she noted his change in posture.

“Beth!”

Startled a little by the voice, Beth quit her staring and she turned to the sound of the noise. It was Carl, happy to see her. Behind walked Rick holding a large backpack and Lori walked next to him, who held Judith in her arms.

“Hey Carl,” she greeted back, smiling friendly at the fourteen year old. The boy’s eyes shined with excitement, knowing she must have bought new games again since his last stay.

She turned back to her new neighbour. He had unlocked the door and was about to enter his apartment. She looked at the shiny nameplate at the door again.

“Thank you, Mr. Dixon,” she smiled politely before looking at the wood of the doorpost shyly, counting the scratches that marred the wood.

He turned around and nodded giving her small grin.

“See ya around, Greene,” and he closed the door, leaving her alone with the Grimes family in the hallway.

“Who’s that, Beth,” Carl asks as he enters her apartment carrying the backpack his father handed him earlier.

“New neighbour,” Beth took Judith from Lori her arms, the baby giggled when she her mother gave her to the familiar blonde.

“Don’t let him play games all night, okay,” Rick mentioned at his son who already seated himself on her couch and started watching the Nickelodeon channel.

Beth laughed and told Rick not to worry. She knew Carl would be a pain in the ass when it came to sleeping. The last time it took her a while, the young teen kept telling her that he wasn’t a baby anymore and he could stay up. However he wasn’t the only one who’s troublesome when it came to sleeping. The baby in her arms either woke up in the middle of the night or doesn’t want to sleep when Beth wants to go to bed.

“She started teething three days ago, so she’s a little feverish. There are some medicine in her bag, bit I just gave her some before leaving” Lori told the blonde and pointed to the backpack Rick gave her. “If she keeps fussing, there is a bite-ring in the bag as well, just give it to her.”

Beth thanked them as wished them a nice night. She walked over into her living space and placed Judith on the floor, opened the backpack and placed the baby’s favourite toys on the ground. Meanwhile, the little girl drooled a little on her t-shirt.

“Carl, can watch Judith for a second while I place her crib in my bedroom,” Beth nodded to the crib.

Carl nodded and sat down next to his baby sister on the floor. Beth smiled at the siblings. It’s beautiful, she thinks as she walked over to the crib and lifted it from the floor. She walked into her bedroom and placed the crib down against the wall with a huff. She stretched her back and walked back to the kids she takes care off.

“Hey Beth, your new neighbour,” Carl started as he sat back on the couch and started watching cartoons.

“Hmm, what about him,” Beth crouched down next to Judith and dropped down on her knees and started playing with the baby.

“He seems really cool, you know,” the boy startled rambling. “He’s more muscular than my dad, I could see that through his shirt!”

She laughed at his comment as Judith started crying and Beth reached for one of the biting toys that the baby already scattered over the floor.

“I bet he has a motorcycle, he seems the type for it.”

“Maybe,” Beth handed the little girl the biting ring and Judith gladly accepted it, making baby noises as she started biting on the soft plastic.

The blonde smiled, Carl was right. Her new neighbour, Mr. Dixon, seemed really cool. When she saw him she reminded him of a younger Joel. They had that same roughness, probably the same personality, too. He told her he wasn’t a people person either. He even wore a flannel shirt. Mentally, she grinned to herself.

And there she goes again, comparing people to video-game characters again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth can't sleep due a thunderstorm, so she escapes her apartment only to run into Daryl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer- I don't own the walking dead
> 
> Okay I'm sorry for the long wait. I wasn't satisfied with the first concept so I scrapped everything and rewrote the whole thing... I didn't make it to 2500 words but yeah, close enough... I'm not really happy with this chapter but yeah...  
> Also thanks for the kudos and the ones that commented :)

**Chapter 2**

The alarm displayed in bright red numbers, it’s two in the morning. Outside, thunder bellowed loudly as lighting flashed through the splits of the curtains for a split second. Wind and rain sounded loudly against the thin window of the apartment, so thin that Beth feared it would break at some point.

Beth sat up in her bed, huddled in a blanket. The lights were on in her bedroom, she couldn’t sleep anyway. The petite blonde stared at the door with fear in her eyes. Of course she wasn’t afraid that someone or something would burst through the wood and kill her. No, the fact that it thunders is reason she’s afraid.

A couple years ago, back when Beth was 17, her brother died in a car accident. The night it happened a thunderstorm rolled by outside, just like tonight. Memories flashed in front of her eyes, the hospital, the call to her parents, their faces, Maggie. Everything.

Beth was all alone at home that night, Maggie was in college in Atlanta and her parents were out of town for a little vacation, leaving her into her brother’s care. He was out with a couple of friends and told her he’ll be home around twelve. But he didn’t. When she woke up in the morning, she’d expected him to be in his room, probably sleeping his hangover away. And she being the sweet little sister she was, decided to bring him some coffee only to discover he wasn’t in his room. She didn’t panic, thinking he stayed at a friend’s place. But then, after going downstairs again to place the mug of coffee on the counter, she heard the doorbell ringing. The moments after opening the door changed her life. Two officers stood there with a grim expression. Asking her if her parents were home. After she told them she was home-alone, they told her that her brother was killed in a car accident. A hit and run, she’d been told.

Before that day, Beth never had been scared for storms.

A loud, ground thrilling boom echoed through her eyes and in a split second the lights and her alarm died. Beth let out an audible gasp. Her heart pounded in her ears, just like the rain pounded against the window, loud and clear. She panted, trying to calm herself in hope she won’t get a panic attack. She closed her eyes and controlled her breathing counting to ten in her head.

I need to get out of here, Beth thinks wrapping her arms around herself, her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark now. She slowly moved herself from the bed and placed her feet on the wooden floor. Beth shuddered when her bare feed felt the cool wood and hastily pulled on some socks.  She rubbed her arms until she picked up a black hoodie from the ground and slipped it over her thin button-up sleep shirt and threw on a pair of sweatpants.

Beth moved in slow pace through the darkness that cascaded her apartment, trying to avoid colliding her feet against her belongings. She didn’t feel like bruising her toes. Outside, a bright flash brightened the room for a second and less than a minute later thunder roared again, this time further away.

The blonde knew she reached her destination when she felt the door handle under her fingers. She opened the door, the hallway was darker than the apartment she just left. She quickly walked down the hallway and carefully headed down the three stairs, going to the ground floor.

Before she it even set foot on the ground after taking the last step of the stair, she collided into someone and lost her footing. She fell backwards on her butt. Groaning in pain she started rubbing her sore tailbone that hit the edge of one of the stair treads, hoping it isn’t bruised.

The blonde sucked in a breath as she tried to get up, a sharp pain shoot through her spine and Beth let out a low hiss.

“You alright, Greene?” a familiar gruff voice asked.

Beth looked up to see Daryl Dixon stretching his hand out to pull her up.

“Thanks,” she took his hand and he pulled her back on her feet. The blonde started to rub her sore butt again. “I think I bruised it when I fell.”

Beth took a moment to look at him. He was soaked to the bone. From his dripping hair that matted against his damp skin She felt her face heat up as she saw abs poking through the fabric that stuck on his body.

“Why’re ya still up this late, Greene?” his grumpy voice snapped out of her trance as he brushed a wet lock of hair out of his face.

“Well, Mr. Dixon, why are you still up?” Beth smirked a little at her remark.

“None of your concern.”

Beth bit her lip at the awkward silence and shoved her hands in the pockets of her hoodie. Suddenly a bright flash cascaded through the glass doors at the front of the building followed by a loud uproar seconds later.

The young woman flinched and sucked in a breath, trying to hide the fact that she’s scared. She doesn’t want her neighbour, who’s basically a stranger since she only met him one, to know.

“Are ya sure ya fine?”

“I’ll be fine,” she murmured in an almost silent whisper. “’T is just the thunder.”

“Then where were ya going, Greene?” he asked after a moment, she felt his eyes on her. “That’s a big storm outside, black out as well.”

“Can’t sleep,” she shrugged staring at where the ground is.  It’s the truth after all.

Beth heard him scuffle his feet around, changing his position. She moved her hands up and crossed her arms over her chest. Her bare hands felt the slightly damp fabric of her hoodie where she bumped into him.

 “Ya forgot ya shoes again,” she could hear him smirking. “Or don’t ya like them?”

Beth felt her face heat up again in embarrassment and she looked down only to see the pink and white striped socks, her toe poking out of hole. She wasn’t going out anyway, that’s what’s she wanted to get out of her apartment and walk a little through the building to clear her mind.

She huffed in frustration but smiled and looked up again.

“Oh well, looks like I need to retrieve them then,” she deadpanned and turned back to the stairs to head up again back to her bed upstairs in her apartment.

“I’m just kidding,” Daryl drawled out, stopping her in her tracks. He wiped his hands over his pants like it would have any effect. The fabric of his jeans were just as soaked as the rest of his clothing. His hair started drying a little though.

“So am I,” she grinned as she turned back around to face the tall man.

“Seriously though, it’s pretty dangerous out there, there is strong wind,” he warned, face turning into scowl. “Saw one of them trees thrown on the ground couple of blocks away.”

“I wasn’t going outside,” she took the first steps of the stair. “I needed to clear my mind, find distraction.”

And silence followed after that. Beth smiled an apology  looking around in the dark. The thunder sounded much farther away now, still the wind blew hard and the rain poured like buckets. She heard him sigh and she fumbled her fingers in her hoodie’s pocket. It remained silent until she dared to look up into his eyes.

And steel blue eyes stared straight back at hers.

Beth quickly glanced away and cleared her throat.

“Um, yeah. I’m feeling pretty beat, I think I can sleep now,” she hastily put the words together. “I mean the thunder is gone.”

The blonde noticed that he awkwardly shuffled around with his feet, again. Maybe he felt the same painful awkwardness that floated around in the air.

“Yeah, I need to change,” Daryl pulled at the wet fabric with a huff. “And I’ll hit the hay as well.”

“Hmm, you should,” she nodded as she headed up the stairs. “You don’t wanna catch a cold, Mr Dixon.”

Beth was surprised at the comfort that laced her words, she normally so awkward and shy. Talking to him almost felt natural to her. She heard him let out a amused huff.

“Daryl.”

Beth stopped in her tracks. What happened, are they first name base now? That usually happens after seeing each other for weeks. Okay, she saw and spoke to him last week when she babysat Carl and Judith.

“Huh?” she could help but dumbly let out that noise.

“The name’s Daryl, Mr. Dixon makes me feel old,” she heard a playful banter somewhere in his voice.

“Then how old are ya,” she dared to sass back, small grin plastered on her face.

“None of yer concern, girl,” he grumbled out and Beth retreated a bit, the grin faded away.

A small silence followed afterwards and she knew she might have said something wrong. She always does when a silence follows. Ugh, why can’t I make a normal conversation once, Beth thinks. She pursed her lips and sighed.

“My name is Beth,” she says quietly as they reach the second floor. “Bethany Greene.”

That didn’t help, she thought. He only grumbled a respond what sounded like ‘Nice to meet ya’ or something like that, she wasn’t sure. Still, she felt awkward as hell. And she didn’t understand, one moment she feels comfortable and the next she turns into little, shy, awkward Beth that can barely make a conversation without having the feel to flee the scene.

“This is awkward,” Beth mumbled to herself.

“Hmm?” the low noise he made caught her of guard. She hadn’t expected him to hear it. And now -she decided- it got ten times more awkward.

“Oh nothing,” she avoided the subject and shrugged. “Just…talking to myself.”

“Oh is that so, Greene,” is he teasing her? Beth felt her face heat up.

“What?” she snapped back. “Don’t you ever talk to yourself?”

“Nah,” was his reply.

“I don’t believe you,” Beth smirked, nobody doesn’t not talk to their self, it always happens once.

“Believe whatever ya want, but I don’t talk to myself,” they had reached the third floor and Daryl had reached out for his keys in his vest pocket.

“Whatever,” she decided to drop the subjects and open her own door, which she had not locked when she left..

“Maybe ya should lock the door next time,” she heard him say as she entered her apartment. “You never know.”

“Why bother, I wasn’t going anywhere,” she replied. Actually she forgot to lock the door in her hurry to get out. Also she didn’t want to search for her keys in the pitch black area.

“You shouldn’t be so naïve,” bet heard a twinge of annoyance in his voice. “You never know what kind of people live here.”

He was about to enter but stopped. But why, she wondered.

“Ya lock the door before going to bed, right?”

“Sometimes I forget,” she admitted meekly raising her eyebrows giving a sheepish smile.

“Just lock it,” he simply said and entered his apartment and started to close the door.

“Wait!” Beth called out, extending her hand in exaggerating manner. She immediately pulled her hand back as he stopped and turned his attention back at her.

“Um,” she started, she felt embarrassment heat up her face again as she tried to search the words she needed. She hadn’t planned to say something.

“What is it, girl?” Daryl cocked an eyebrow at her.

“Um, yeah…”  Beth fumbled with her hoodie’s strings.

“Just spit it out, Beth,” he grumbled.

Beth flinched at the tone. Of course she’s annoying him, he’s soaked to the bone and prefers warm clothing and warm bed she’s keeping him from now.

“Coffee,” the blonde breathed out. “Do you wanna get a cup of coffee with me at the dinner a couple blocks away one day>”

There is it was. Beth was looking at her feet. Oh fuck that sounded so awkward. Inside her head she was cursing herself for being so stupid, why would a man who only met her twice- in the same fricking hallway!- want to go out with her on a date. Wait, date? Since when did she meant this to be a date? It’s a coffee get-together. Is that even a word?

“I mean like…um…you know,” Beth started daring to look up back at him. “To get to know each other, I mean we’re neighbours after all.”

“I mean you don’t have to-”  Beth started again after she fell silent but was interrupted.

“How does tomorrow at four sound?” he said before she could continue and she was startled. A genuine smile grew on her face.

“Sounds great!” that was a little too loud, but she didn’t care if people would start yelling at her.

So she closed the door of her apartment, saying her goodnight at Daryl and headed back to her room. The thunder had faded into the background, she hasn’t heard it much anymore and she’s glad to have found her distraction in the halls.

Still smiling she crawled back in bed, dreaming about her ‘date’ for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)

**Author's Note:**

> So...what do you think?
> 
> Thanks for reading.


End file.
